Reebok zPump Fusion Hands On Review

One of the most exciting advancements from the Reebok brand in recent history is the all new zPump Fusion trainer. Anyone following Cop These Kicks on twitter knows these caught our eye and attention. Reebok was kind enough to send us a pair for evaluation.

First off, the Stash x Reebok zPump collaboration certainly catches the eye. Released as part of a pack, the graffiti inspired design gives the impression of shoes worn while working with paint. The standard Reebok zPump design is still visible but subtle, easy to miss at a glance. The highly responsive 3M on the heel and eyelets give these kicks a bump in safety for night running, but also catch the eye when walking.

Being a relatively new shoe with a standout look there were more than a few people who stopped to ask me what I was wearing. Most in fact hadn’t heard of the zPump yet. The curb appeal of these is definitely a perk and made me feel just ahead of the curve.

The Details: “a one of a kind leap forward in both comfort and design”

Now it’s easy to compare some of the features to other shoes. The box will make you think you just copped some retro 11’s with it’s slide out design. The ZRated sole has a similar look and feel to the Nike Free line. The shoelace eyelets use a flywire like design to lock you into the kicks, but the similarities end there. The zPump is a beast of its own and on the foot there’s no mistaking that this is a one of a kind leap forward in both comfort and design. The one piece “Fusion” compression upper locks you in comfortably when laced up. They look stunning, no bunching and bulging when flexing. The upper is breathable and water resistant but we’ll get into that later. The main feature in the zPump is the inflatable cage that goes around your ankle and the top of your foot. You can inflate these for a perfect fit, which is nice for those of you who, like myself, are somewhere between two sizes.

The Feel: “as natural as your favorite pair of well worn trainers”

We put the zPump to work, after all, Reebok’s engineers designed these to be worn and we wouldn’t let them down. In Savannah GA, one of the east coasts best “walking cities”, we put our feet to the streets. The comfort was unmatched, and keep in mind this comes from the experience of someone with over 150 different running shoes in rotation. That zPump cage puts in work but I’ll be honest, there kicks would still be contenders without it. Went to grab some grub giving these guys a few walking miles right off the bat. The comfort made walking a breeze, no awkward break-in period, they felt as natural as your favorite pair of well worn trainers. Next we took them for a run through the historic Forsyth Park. The ankle stability and breathability of the upper really stood out. Finally we took them out for a day at the beach… the literal beach. Walking and running along the Tybee coast, there was minimal fatigue from running in the sand. The “ZRated” sole gave me just enough support and flexibility to avoid the ankle and hamstring pitfall that beach running can become. While running on the shore the tide suddenly came in which is when I discovered the fusion upper kept my feet from getting soaked. A light brush with the hands and the salt was off. The splash resistance makes the Nike “shield” look like a newspaper over the head compared to an umbrella. Finally with temperatures pushing 100 degrees fahrenheit my feet were cool as cucumbers and had me thinking “flyknit who?”.

I hate to do a review without pointing out drawbacks. In fact we’ve never done that… but I just couldn’t find one. I guess the ZRated sole isn’t quite as comfortable for all day sidewalking as say a good flyknit lunar chukka, or boost runner would be. But as a running shoe? The Reebok zPump Fusion is in a class of it’s own. The silhouette is also in it’s infancy and colorway selection is fairly limited but expanding. The Stash Splatter feels like a perfect solution with a colorful look that will match nearly anything.

Does Cop These Kicks approve? God yes. You know us, when we love it we love it, when we hate it we hate it, and we love the ZPump. You’ve got our attention Reebok, lets see how far this goes!